Game news After God of War Ragnarok, 10 Norse mythology discovery games (Assassin’s Creed, Hellblade…)
According to Greek mythology, the God of War royalty leaned on the side of Thor, Freya, Loki, and Odin. With the release of God of War: Ragnarok, you were able to delve into the nine kingdoms of Yggdrasil, and perhaps this epic made you discover a little more. Don’t move because we’ve put together a small selection of ten games to quench your thirst for Norse mythology.
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For those interested, it should be noted that Laurent di Filippo, lecturer at the University of Lorraine, has written in particular on Norse mythology in video games (Video games and Norse myths, Barbaric Norse in contemporary games: between otherness and playful identification, Norse myths between sources and contemporary playful uses…)
It’s impossible to talk about Norse mythology without talking about Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. If the license (which celebrates its 15th anniversary this weekend) is known for emphasizing history, since Assassin’s Creed Origins it has been interested in the depth of mythology. Of course, following Egyptian and Greek mythology, it’s at the heart of the tales of Odin, Loki and the others that Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has plunged us into. If Norse mythology is present throughout the game, since the peoples of the north are very religious, certain passages in which Eivor takes Odin’s place allow us to discover in depth the myths of the time. A DLC (playable standalone) has even been developed that focuses on the events before Ragnarok: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: L’Aube du Ragnarok. Difficult to do better than delve into Norse mythology.
Another proof: God of War. In fact, Ragnarok isn’t Kratos’ first adventure to take place in the realm of the Norse gods. If you have not yet performed the 2018 soft reboot, we can only advise you to give it a try. Firstly, because it would be a pity to discover the continuation of the epic of Kratos and Atreus without having taken their first steps in the kingdoms of Yggdrasil. And secondly, because mythology occupies a particularly important place in it. From Midgard to Helheim, via Alfheim, Jötunheim, Niflheim and Muspelheim, the Nordic worlds hold no secrets for you. Especially since you will encounter many deities there and you can rely on Mimir to explain their stories to you.
Let’s go back in time a little to 1992. That was the year Heimdall was released, an RPG based on Norse mythology. Just like the game Loki, Heimdall offers you to embody a Norse deity, although less well known. Heimdall is indeed the god of light and the moon and the guardian of the Bifrost, the bridge that separates Asgard from the lower worlds. He is also on a mission to blow in Gjallarhorn (a decoy) to announce the start of Ragnarök. Even though things are a bit different in The 8th Day game and core design, it still offers you the chance to travel through Midgard, Utgard and Asgard in the footsteps of certain myths, and this at a time when Norse mythology wasn’t yet the wind had so much in its sails. In fact, he must above all recover Gungnir and Mjolnir, stolen and hidden by the abominable Loki.
If players who enjoyed Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice are eagerly awaiting the sequel, there’s still time for others to discover this experience a little further afield. A true plunge into the heart of madness, Hellblade uses Celtic myths and Norse mythology to offer us a fantastical world that’s as dark as it is intriguing. The playing field openly anchors itself in the traditions of the Nine Kingdoms. In fact, the Pictish warrior is looking for Senua to reach Helheim to save her lover’s soul. In particular, she must bring down the fire giant Surt, but also accept Odin’s four challenges to get her hands on Gramr, the legendary sword wielded by Sigmund in Norse mythology. We’re already excited to see if the sequel, titled Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, will delve a little more into Norse mythology or deviate from it.
It continues with a heroine who also has to compete with the Norse gods: the Viking Tora in Jotun. The latter faced the greatest misfortune of any good self-respecting Viking: not dying glorious in battle and thus denied entry to Valhalla. In fact, the warriors fallen in battle are brought there to feast with the gods for eternity. To earn her place among them, Thora must prove herself to the Norse deities. To do this, she must overcome the five colossal jötunn. In Norse mythology, jötunn (or jötnar) are giant creatures representing the forces of nature. In addition, the game references other parts of Norse mythology, such as the miracle apples of Idunn, which Thora is able to harvest during her journey.
If we often talk about Odin and the other gods of Norse mythology, there are other important characters missing from most of the titles that have chosen it as their playground, but there are always exceptions to the rule, and Munin is one of them. As the name suggests, this independent title offers the opportunity to put yourself in the shoes of Munin, the raven messenger of Odin. However, it’s not actually a raven that you’re about to impersonate, since Munin was turned into a little girl by Loki. Your aim? Find your feathers in the four corners of the Nine Kingdoms to restore your original form and powers. Everything takes place in a horizontal scrolling game with rotating elements in which you will have to train your brain but also your reflexes. Note that in Norse mythology, Odin has two raven messengers: Munin, but also Hugin.
To recognize a game that speaks of Norse mythology, often everything happens in the title. Not surprisingly, Ragnarok Online lets you delve into the heart of the myths that riddled the lives of the peoples of the North centuries ago. In this MMORPG, you can actually explore the realms of Midgard, Jötunheim, Asgard, Alfheim and Niflheim, all with a manga-inspired style. It is also an adaptation of the Korean manwha Ragnarok by Lee Myung-jin. “I’ve always been very interested in myths, both Korean and Greco-Roman. This brought me to Norse mythologies, which I quickly found very interesting. So I started researching and studying and with that culture, I wanted to create a comic where I could plant gods and events that echo those characters and those myths.” he told us fifteen years ago.
We’re switching genres with a Norse mythology-inspired point-and-click adventure: The Frostrune. This very cryptic game takes you to an island full of abandoned dwellings. In the role of a thirteen-year-old toddler, your goal is to find out what could have happened. Very slick and clearly not made for all types of players, The Frostrune is full of references to Norse myths. Whether it’s through the runes or the various books that explain parts of Norse mythology, Grimnir Media’s title suggests cultivating us a little through an adventure that’s as cryptic as it is beautiful to behold. Along the way you will play a role in one of the most important (and well-known) moments of this mythology, or rather its aftermath. This island you’re stranded on holds many mysteries and we can only encourage you to discover them if the quiet and strange dot-clicks don’t scare you.
This example is a bit special. Too Human is undeniably inspired by the stories of Norse mythology, but proposes rewriting them with sci-fi sauce. In the game from Silicon Knights and Microsoft Studios, the gods are actually cybernetic soldiers who have to watch over the humans. And the task is not easy as a war is raging between humans and machines and the former are struggling to compete. Baldur, the soldier/god you play, is tasked with helping them survive despite everything. If you learn a few things about the Norse deities, the myths here are just a source of inspiration and have been completely rewritten. But the proposal is so unlikely that it deserves its place in this selection. Note that the game is particularly known for its chaotic development. Repeatedly postponed, Too Human was finally released in 2008, nine years after its announcement (and the feedback was mixed).
The Valkyries are well-known minor deities of Norse mythology. These winged warriors have several important roles. You have to lead the battles, distribute the death and also bring the fallen warriors to the famous Valhalla. They are also the ones destined to accompany Odin during battle when Ragnarok comes. As the name suggests, Valkyrie Profile invites you to put yourself in the shoes of one of these lesser deities. The context is as follows: Asgard is thrown into chaos by the battle between the Aesir (Odin, Thor, Loki…) and the Vanes (Freyja, Njörd, Freyr…). Odin therefore decides to summon the Valkyrie Lenneth to assemble an army and manage to defeat Surt’s forces. Note that this conflict existed in Norse mythology and ended in a truce made in exchange for multiple deities. So Njörd, Freyr and Freyja joined the Aesir.